The Avengers Optimum
by corinnedanielle
Summary: The children of the Avengers - destined for greatness. But sometimes the enemy is closer than you may think.
1. Chapter 1

_**This is my VERY FIRST fanfic EVER, so please go easy on me. If this sucks entirely and should be burned a thousand times over, I apologize greatly! Review please, I would really like your feedback so I can make this fanfic as best as it can be.**_

**Chapter One**

***Charlie's POV***

"Charlie. Charlie? Charlie!"

Charlie Stark reluctantly pulled her nose out of the book she was reading. One of her biggest pet peeves was when someone tried talking to her when she was busy living another life within the pages of her books. She glared at her father. He could have at least waited until she was done the chapter.

"What do you want?"

"We have to go. Now. So put that book down and let's _go." _He reached for the book. Bad move. In an instant Charlie was up, one hand guarding her book and the other in a fist just inches away from her father's face.

"How many times do I have to tell you: don't _ever_ touch my books, _Tony._" Her dark eyes glittered with disgust as she strutted out of the common area and away from her father, who hung back with a dark look of his own. Charlie couldn't help but smirk as he finally walked away, muttering something under his breath. She refused to call her father 'dad.' Maybe it was because she was just so stubborn and refused to give people what they wanted. Or maybe it was because she hated him. Okay, maybe _hate_ was a strong word. But how would you feel towards someone who forced you to live in secret for your whole life? How would you feel towards someone who was way too arrogant and obnoxious just because he was the one and only Iron Man? And on top of that, he gave her the worst name in history. Charlotte. In attempt to make the name less prissy, she shortened it to Charlie.

Moving through the mansion, she made her way to her luxurious room. Luxurious was an understatement. Her room was huge. With two giant TV screens lining her walls, her own personal hot tub, massive king bed, and a million dollar view out the window, it was more than perfect. Though the part she liked the most was the library she had built into the far corner. Hundreds of books lay on display on the marble shelves, each holding a new world to be discovered inside. Charlie placed her book back on the shelf and took a look at herself in the mirror, hoping she looked decent enough for the SHIELD meeting.

A petite girl stared back at her, with long dark hair flowing past her chest and into the middle of her waist. Tony had pestered her to cut it numerous times, and just because he wanted her to, she didn't. She did a quick once over of her outfit: dark jeans, R5 shirt, and ball cap. Not your stereotypical rich girl look, but it was her. With a confident breath, she slipped on her favorite pair of Keds and joined her parents in the Audi R8. Her mother flashed a smile as she hopped in. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled into a classy, sophisticated ponytail.

"It's a big day," Said Pepper.

"So I've heard," Charlie grumbled.

* * *

***Melissa's POV***

Melissa swung from the metal bar, completing a triple flip before landing with as much noise as a butterfly. In an instant she was running – one hundred meters, two hundred meters – not once losing her breath. Pulling an arrow from her back, she strung her bow. She released it and like always, it hit dead centre of the target. Never once did she miss. After all, she _was_ the daughter of Hawkeye and Black Widow. It was in her genes to have a perfect shot. She made a vow to never, _ever _disappoint her parents. Their approval was everything. Weather it was a foamy target or a boys heart, Melissa always got a bullseye.

She stripped out of her training attire and hopped into a steamy shower in her deluxe bathroom, letting the hot water moisten her skin and wash off the stress of the week. Recently, she had spent most of her time training and learning, barely leaving time to eat or even sleep. She would do whatever it took to be the best. Hastily, she washed herself and allowed herself a few spare minutes to just stand under the hot waterfall. Stepping out of the shower she wrapped a towel around her thin body and began combing out her auburn curls. She then applied a thin layer of eyeliner on her top lids, added some mascara, and finished off with a coat of her favorite lip gloss: Cherry Me. Satisfied, she dressed and headed out.

Though she would never admit it, Melissa was nervous.

* * *

***Theo's POV***

Through the V12 Vantage window, Theodore Banner saw the world flash by quickly, leaving no time to stop and smell the roses. Not that there was much roses to smell, but you get the picture. His father sat in the driver's seat, with classis rock that no one was paying attention to playing on the radio. Bruce had insisted on driving to the meeting.

Like he normally did when he was anxious, Theo ran a hair through his dark dishevelled hair and inhaled a deep breathe, letting it out slowly.

"Relaxation techniques are key," His father had always told him. And his father would know.

All his life, Theo had been trained to contain his anger and let the monster out on his own terms. It had taken him years to master it; at first he would turn at the littlest pinch of anger. Now he could control it – wherever and whenever.

The secret? _Always be angry._

* * *

***Isabel's POV***

"Hey sweetie, your father is going to accompany you today to the meeting and I won't be there. Apparently only actual team members are allowed to be present," Isabel's mom said as she chopped carrots. Isabel nodded, watching her mom work. Jane's pretty brown hair was pulled into a messy bun with one loose strand falling into her eyes. Isabel would forever be jealous of her mother's beauty. It was no wonder a God from Asgard fell in love with her. On cue, her dad entered the room – his grand presence like a lightning bolt. He leaned over to his beloved Jane, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Blegh!" Isabel made a face as she teased her parents, who just laughed. Leaving the two love-birds alone, she headed down to her room. It was a normal room – nothing fancy or impressive. Just a normal seventeen year-old girls type of place. She supposed, being the daughter Thor and all, she should be crazy rich and spoiled rotten. That wasn't the case at all. Her mom had insisted on living a simple and normal life, since her dad spent his time going back and forth between worlds. They weren't poor, but they weren't swimming in gold either.

Isabel ran a brush through her long chestnut hair and slapped on some lipstick. Pulling on her combat boots and scarf, she did a once over in the mirror, then grabbed her purse. Out of habit she slipped a book into her bag. Just in case there was time to read a few lines.

* * *

***Noah's POV***

The blazer fit perfectly. With its navy blue material and flawless trim, it almost seemed like it was made just for Noah. Well, actually, it was.

"How do you like it?" Maria asked, fiddling with her hands.

"I love it!" Noah exclaimed to his seamstress. The small, aging lady beamed at his approval. Noah took another glance in the mirror. He had to admit, his outfit. With his blue plaid shirt, black jeans, and combat boots all complete with an original blazer, he would surely make a good first impression on the other New Avengers heroes. A knock came from his bedroom door, followed by his father poking a head in.

"Hey there son, lookin' good."

"Thanks dad," Noah smirked. Maria left him alone, and the instant she was gone Noah collapsed on his bed. He was exhausted. Surprisingly, it wasn't all fun and games being the offspring of a superhero. He was expected to walk in his father's footsteps. Not that he was complaining, but it was a lot of expectations to live up to. Reluctantly he sat up sighed. Leaving his gigantic, million dollar bedroom behind, he followed his father out into the kitchen for a bite to eat before leaving. Their house was huge and magnificent, but it was normal for Noah. It was all he'd ever known – being the son of Captain America and all. When Noah had first heard his dad's story and learned his dad should technically be almost a century old, he almost laughed out loud. But after learning every else about his father and the adventures he'd had, Noah would believe almost anything.

Except for love.

He would never believe in love


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here's the second chapter. Please, please, please review! Let me know what you think!**_

***Charlie's POV***

The S.H.I.E.L.D base swarmed with agents suited in black. It was intimidating. Tony walked with such intense purpose – his shoes clicking with haughtiness. She looked down and pretended she didn't know him. Of course, it didn't quite work out considering everybody knew *_exactly*_ who they were.

"Well if it isn't the one and only Mr. Stark!" A voice exclaimed as they entered a large room with a shiny black table in the centre. Charlie looked up and immediately recognized Phil Coulson. The S.H.I.E.L.D agent who faked his own death. He turned to her and she glanced back down, letting her dark hair fall into her face.  
"Excuse my daughter," Tony said. "She's not too fond of other people. Doesn't play well with others if you know what I mean. Don't know where she got that trait from."

Charlie rolled her eyes. Her father could literally be SO annoying sometimes."I'm pleased to officially meet you, Charlotte." Coulson offered his hand and she shook it half-heartedly. Charlie bit her cheek to keep from making a comment. Did he seriously have to call her Charlotte?

"Ah," Coulson looked past her. "There's Dr. Banner."

A humble looking man with salt and pepper hair walked in, followed by a guy who must be his son. Dr. Banner spotted Tony and his face brightened. The guy followed behind, his dark eyes observing everything around him. Charlie glanced at him, but didn't say anything.  
Two more people walked in. A tall, muscular blonde man with a son just as tall and muscular. Captain America. He nodded to Charlie as he walked passed, his son doing the same.

"Steve," Dr. Banner shook his hand. Tony waltzed over, slapping Steve on the shoulder. "Hey Cap, good to have you back."

Five new faces entered the room. Two of them obviously married, with a daughter of their own. Finally, another girl! Though this chick didn't look too friendly – her auburn hair fell to her shoulders perfectly and gray eyes scrutinized everything. They swept over Charlie and the chick raised an eyebrow rudely. Okay, maybe she would stay away from miss 'I'm So Cool'. Then Charlie spotted the other two who had come in: the unmistakable God of Thunder and who must be his daughter. Hopefully this girl would be a little nicer.

A group of agents strode into the room next, a tall black man at the front. His left eye was covered in a patch, scars protruding from all sides. A fierce aura surrounded him. Everyone sat along the black table.

"Welcome," he said. "I am Nick Fury."

* * *

***Melissa's POV***

Nick Fury stared them all down real intensely before saying, "You have all been chosen as Phase 1 of the Avengers Optimum. If you wish to decline this offer, I suggest you leave now." Nobody moved. Nobody wanted to. Melissa eyed up the tomboy in the corner. Surely she didn't want to be here? Fury continued, "This new generation of Avengers will be strong. Invincible. The world's greatest defenders. Bigger, better, faster, and stronger than the Avengers ever were. It's up to you five to make sure that nothing and nobody questions that."

All of a sudden the air above the table lit up – a hologram. It showed The Avengers, featuring footage from the New York crisis, (credits to Loki for making that happen) along with scenes from their other battles. Impressive. The screen then switched and showed a hulk. One with skin as black as the night.  
"Theodore," Fury said to the dark haired guy that sat beside Dr. Banner. "As the son of The Hulk, you will be known as Tank." Melissa bit back a laugh. There was no way in hell that the monster on the screen was actually really shy boy across the table from her. No way.

The image changed again, showing the cute blonde boy dressed in a black and silver suit with a giant shield propped in his hand, running and fighting with extreme movements. "Noah Rogers, from now on you will be known as The Shadow Soldier. Following the footsteps of your father, Captain America, I trust you will defend this country at all costs." Noah gave a brisk nod, blue eyes sparkling with severe determination.

Nick Fury turned to Melissa. Honestly, it was a little daunting because she found it hard not to stare at the creepy eye patch. She swallowed, anticipation racing through her veins as she appeared on the screen, shooting targets with impeccable aim. "Melissa, daughter of Hawkeye and Black Widow, you are the most skilled assassin the world will ever see. You will be called Torpedo." Melissa smiled. Cool!

Next, the brunette girl flashed onto the hologram. It showed her with storms clouds at her fingertips, shooting lightning and winds in all directions. It was pretty intense for such a simple looking chick. Melissa was almost jealous.  
"Isabel Foster, demi-god and daughter of the God of Thunder, with your strength and ability to create such storms you will be known to Earth as Raze." Okay. Seriously? She had cool powers _and_ a cool name? Ugh. She decided she didn't like this girl very much.

Lastly an image of the tomboy appeared, wearing a black and silver suit made of iron, like Iron Man. Bright beams flashed out of her hands, eyes, chest and feet. Fury continued his commentary, "Charlotte Stark –"

"It's Charlie." The girl growled. Everyone stared. How crazy was that Charlie girl, speaking to the one and only Nick Fury like that? Melissa noticed Tony Stark glowering at his daughter.

"Okay _Charlie_," Fury said with a bitter tone. "You will be called Flare."

Stark looked up. "Ah, I'd actually like to see an "Iron" in there. You know, for some father-daughter sentimental reasons. Maybe something like, Iron Offspring or Daughter of the Iron? Just a thought."

The look on Fury's face was indescribable. He stared blankly at Stark, mouth moving but not forming words. Charlie's expression was even better: her dark eyes were almost popping out of her sockets in embarrassment.

"Oh!" Stark added. "What about, Iron Flare?"

"Alright," Fury sighed. "As you wish."

"No! No way!" Charlie exclaimed. "I think I'll stick to Flare." She sent a death glare to her father. A silence momentarily wavered in the room. This had to be the strangest group of heroes ever. Fury cleared his throat, picking up where he left off.

"Every single one of you has been specifically trained for your entire life. Agent Hill and Agent Coulson will escort you to the S.H.I.E.L.D training facility. It's time to show us what you've got."

At that remark, Melissa felt a smile curve on her face. Time to show everyone who was best.


	3. Chapter 3

***Theo's POV***

His stomach dropped. Oh no. Oh hell no. There was no way he was releasing the monster in this closed room. Theo eyed the large training room, his gaze falling upon the metal walls and heavy equipment. Even if it was pretty sustainable, the 'other guy' would surely make a mess of this place. Agent Maria Hill looked around the group. She was a pretty woman. The kind of pretty you wouldn't expect to see here. Her brown hair was pulled back and she wore a tight outfit with a gun strapped to her thigh. Her voice was firm and commanding.

"Tank," She said. "Why don't you go first?"

"I- I'd rather not," Theo stammered. His father leaned down and whispered into his ear. "This is what you've been working on your whole life. You can do it." After a reassuring pat, his dad pushed him forward. Everything inside Theo told him that this was a very, very bad idea.

"Come on Tank, time to release the beast!" Stark called out. A groan of humiliation faintly came from the group, probably from Stark's daughter. Fury, who stood outside of the room, peered in through a glass window on the second floor.

Theo turned his head to the Avengers and their offspring. He was sure they could all see his fear shining like a beacon in his eyes. Then he balled his fists, arched his back, and yelled at the top of his lungs. The world became a jumble of light and colour as he began to shift. It didn't hurt. It never did – unless he tried to fight it. His body trembled as he felt the monster awaken. It rose and rose, boiling violently in his blood. Then in one giant release it erupted, his voice releasing a beastly cry.

The whole room was silent. Theo could feel their eyes on him; hear the absence of their breath as they held it in preparation. Slowly he turned. His feet thundered with power. When he faced them all he let out a breathy grunt. A surge of relaxation overcame the heroes in front of him but their eyes never left him. One pair of dark eyes caught his attention. Charlie. She stared him down with such intensity that it took everything in him not to look away. She held his gaze for a moment longer, and then cast her eyes down.

* * *

***Isabel's POV***

Tank was flippin' cool. Isabel knew that for sure. His body was enormous and crazy muscular, she could see the muscles rippling under the leathery black skin. It was hard to believe that this beast was the shy boy who stood so quietly only moments before. With massive force he jumped up and when he landed the whole ground boomed. A crack formed under his fist and spilt the floor down the middle.

"I'll pay for that," Dr. Banner said.

Agent Coulson smiled at Theodore's performance, and directed the snobby looking girl called Torpedo to go next. Wasn't her real name something like Marissa? No, Melissa. That was it.

A group of agents entered the facility, ready to be the victims. She was given a bow and arrow too. Melissa flew through a series of impressive moves, taking out each agent in a second with no effort at all – which was surprising considering each of them were highly trained professionals. She made them look like clumsy hippos. Torpedo spun and flipped as she reached to her back for an arrow. It whizzed by, hitting a target dead centre. One, two, three more arrows sailed across the room, each one slicing the other in half as they landed in the bullseye. Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff wrapped their arms around each other in pride. Isabel stared at Melissa in wonder as she took her place back in the group. She was amazing! Everything about her was perfect; the way she took out those men to the way she flipped her hair. Melissa stood beside Isabel, a soft smile playing on her cherry red lips – Isabel couldn't figure out whether the smile was genuine or a form of mockery.

Agent Hill brought the Cap's son up next.

"He's so hot," A voice tickled in her ear. Isabel stiffened at the warm breath, and turned to Melissa.

"Yeah," She said. "He's alright."

"Just alright? You've gotta be kidding me." Melissa's grey eyes slithered over Noah's body like a hungry snake. "He's way more than alright."

Isabel watched Noah – or, the Shadow Soldier – as he performed. There was no denying it, Melissa was right. He was damn sexy. His blonde hair flicked to one side flawlessly, and the heavy vibranium shield he carried showed off his beautiful muscles. Heat rushed into Isabel's cheeks. Enough. She had no time for silly little crushes. Anyways, it looks like Melissa already called dibs on him.

"Raze," Agent Hill said. "You're up. Show your team what you can do."

With as much confidence as she could muster, Isabel walked forward into the centre of the room. Her footsteps echoed heavily in the silence as they all waited. Waited for what, exactly? Isabel let a devilish smile crawl onto her face. They had no idea what to expect; the hologram didn't do justice for her abilities. You see, being the daughter of an Asgardian God, she wasn't exactly human. More like a demi-god. Rolling her shoulders back, she sucked in a deep breath and called the thunder. It was always a part of her; she could constantly feel it off in the distance. The clouds trundled in and she felt their power surge into her body. Merciless winds picked up _inside _of the building and lightning danced at her fingertips. The feeling was absolutely wonderful – the feeling of power. Her father had always needed Mjölnir to summon the storms but Isabel was different. She could do it with just her bare hands. A laugh echoed around the room and she realized it was hers. She relished in the storm for several moments before shooting it up through the roof and into the sky. The lightning vanished from sight, and the roar of it all was gone in seconds. It was only when Isabel opened her eyes that she realized they had been closed. She turned to the SHIELD group – so certain she had pleased them with her abilities. What she saw made her face drop.

Crap. This was SO not good.

Every one huddled in the far corner, her father with a look of shock and embarrassment plastered onto his face. A dozen SHIELD agents were crouched in defensive positions with their guns pointed at her. Did they really think she was going to harm them? Isabel looked at the destruction she had caused.  
The entire training facility was completely destroyed. Rubble and rock was every-freaking-where. Most of the training equipment was scorched or burnt. To top it off, a gaping hole sneered down at her from the ceiling. Several loose rocks fell from the roof and landed in a dusty heap at her feet.

This was great. Just great. (Sarcasm implied.)

Isabel's throat tightened in mortification as she realized what she had done. Her father stormed towards her (no pun intended) and gripped her arm. He snatched her out of the room and hissed at her.

"What were you thinking!? You nearly demolished everything in that room! I thought you had your powers under control. How do you even expect SHIELD to recruit you now?" His eyes burned with rage. Thor was deathly scary when he was angry. Especially with his accent and all. It seemed as if lightning flashed in his eyes. Isabel shook under her father's fury.

"I didn't mean to, I swear! I just lost control –"

"Lost control? That is no excuse Isabel! If you wish me to grant you access into Asgard then you will need to prove to me that you are worthy of carrying this kind of power. Do you understand?"

Isabel blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. "Yes father," she whispered. "I will not disappoint you again."

* * *

**_I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's kinda short, and I'll work on making my chapters longer! I would greatly approach at your feedback, so please review! Thanks!_**


	4. Chapter 4

***Noah***

After the scary looking blonde dude who talked an awful lot like Shakespeare left with his daughter, the Charlie girl performed her abilities amidst the rubble. Noah watched with curiosity as SHIELD supplied one of her own personal armor suits and she flew around the room, shooting the remaining target with her hands just like her father. Her jaw was clenched the whole time, and for a moment Noah thought her eyes flashed red, but before he was sure they were back to their usual brown. Whatever. It was a stressful day – he was bound to start hallucinating. When they had all finished showing off their abilities, a swarm of agents covered the room and began lifting the rubble of the ground with giant machines. He Isabel had really torn this place apart. Theo's little crack was nothing compared what she did. A hand tapped Noah's shoulder.

"Rogers," Nick Fury said. "It's time to leave."

Noah looked around and saw he was the only one still in the room. The others were watching him. Blood rushed to his cheeks as he scurried out behind Fury. Isabel and her father rejoined the group – Isabel with pink cheeks and red rimmed eyes. Had she been crying?

The big black commander lead the group down a series of hallways, down a few staircases, and opened huge door. Bright sunlight from the slowly sinking sun blasted through, forcing Noah to use his hands as a visor. It took just a moment for his eyes to adjust. In front of him lay a magnificent mansion – bigger and better than the one he had grown up in. It was at least five stories tall, with giant windows spread across the front and the base of the house trimmed with shiny black stones. A stone path led the way towards the house, where rock arches with pillars marked the entrance and a massive metal gate lined the perimeter of the house. A fountain sprayed water into the sky while pearly white roses glistened under the droplets.

"What is this?" Noah asked.

Fury turned to him, "This, my boy, is for you. All of you. A gift of gratitude for taking on the responsibility of being Phase 1 of the Avengers Optimum. Our plan for you is to live here in this home right here in the SHIELD headquarters. This way we will be able to monitor your progress and training and keep you close for when danger calls."

"I assume there are rooms for us too?" Stark asked. "I mean, it'd only be fair. We took on the grueling burden of raising these kids. And trust me – it wasn't easy." He shot a pointed look at his daughter, who stuck her tongue out in response.

Agent Hill piped in. "Yes Stark, there is a separate place at the back of the mansion for the parents. However, it is not a permanent home. You can choose to stay there however long you want, come and go throughout the year to see your daughter, but you are a grown adult and have a place of your own if I remember correctly."

Stark hesitated and opened his mouth to say something, but obviously thought better of it and clammed it shut. Clint Barton examined the building. "Can we go inside?"

Fury smiled and the edges of the eye patch crinkled as. "Of course!"

Walking into the mansion was even more amazing than standing outside of it. As he stepped foot inside the doorway, Noah decided he would like this place very much. Seriously, it was incredible! Everything from the shine off the 110" flat screen TV that was plastered on the wall to the indoor swimming pool on the second floor made him sooo glad he had agreed to this. Modern furniture gave the whole house a classy feel, while the games room added some character. He climbed the glass stairs onto the third floor, which was the training part of the house. One large room was equipped with targets and agility equipment just like the one Isabel destroyed. Another one was sort of a workshop place with intense machinery. Charlie followed him in.

"Oh. My. Gosh." Her eyes widened in delight. "This is SO PERFECT!" She squealed and ran around the room, sliding up a hologram screen from the panel and began to plan her next suit with the advanced technology and unlimited supplies. Noah chuckled and left her alone.

On the fourth floor lay their bedrooms. He quickly called dibs on the middle room and turned on the 74" flat screen. Flicking through thousands of channels, he felt like a little kid again as the excitement of the new mansion bubbled inside. He was suddenly thrown back into a memory. One he had long forgotten.

"_Take your bags upstairs, Noah." His dad said. An eager seven year old Noah jumped up and down. "This house is gonna be SO AWESOME!" He screamed as he raced throughout the building, tumbling over chairs and knocking over boxes._

"_Noah, did you hear my order?" His dad asked sternly. Like a good little soldier, he finally grabbed his bags all at once and lifted them up the flight to the next floor. To anyone else, it would have been strange seeing a little kid carrying all of that at once. But it was normal for Noah. The serum in his superhero daddy was racing though is own blood. He dropped the bags in his new room, and Maria the Helper started unpacking his boxes for him. Maria the Helper was what Noah called her. He thought it made her sound like one of Santa's elves. He explored his new room – a big TV was on one wall with a whole bunch of video games – including his favourite: Mario. On the other side of his bed was a giant lava lamp that glowed green and blue. It was so freaking awesome. He was so sure other boys his age would be jealous! If only he was allowed to know other boys…_

_His daddy's voice rang up from down the stairs. "When you're done up there you need to come back down and help me, okay Noah?" _

_Noah raced down the stairs with super speed to his father. "Afterwards can we play catch?" He pleaded, using his best puppy dog eyes as he stared up at his daddy. He had seen a kitty use puppy dog eyes on an old movie called Shrek once. It was strange, thought Noah – that a kitty would use puppy eyes. But it seemed to work on the big green monster in the movie, so he did his best with is dad. "Puh-leeeeeese, Captain Daddy?!" His father laughed at Noah's nickname for him and then said, "Sure son. We can play for a bit after you finish today's training session."_

"_Yeah!" Noah jumped up and down again in excitement. Then suddenly he stopped. Something was missing. Or rather, someone was missing. "Where's mama?" He asked. Daddy's eyes darkened and his expression softened. Noah's stomach felt like the oatmeal Maria the Helper made for breakfast. _

"_What is it daddy?"_

"_Son," His dad sat down and lifted him onto his lap. "Mama won't be living with us anymore."_

_It felt like the air around him lost all oxygen. "Wh-wh…what do you mean!" His eyes filled with tears and he hastily wiped them away. _

_His father paused. "She didn't want to be with us anymore. I'm sorry."_

"_But why?"_

"_She thought we were too dangerous. That our lives were too dangerous."_

_Everything in Noah's tiny little body wanted to break down and cry. How could Mama leave him? Did he do something that made her hate him and Daddy? Was it something he said? Maybe she thought he was to strange. Maybe she wanted a boy who was normal and could go out and play with normal kids and go to normal school and live a normal life. He blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. He had never seen his dad cry, so he would never cry. _

"Hey."

Noah turned, jolted out of the bitter memory. To his surprise he saw Melissa standing in the door way, a hand placed nonchalantly on her hip to purposely show off her feminine curves. She sauntered forward and titled her head, eyeing him up.

"What's up?" He asked.

Melissa smiled. "You were pretty impressive earlier. Gotta say, I didn't expect you to be that amazing."

He gave a nervous laugh. "Uh, thanks."

Her stormy eyes bore into him and he was stuck in the thought of how gorgeous she was. "You really are something else," She murmured. Her slim body slid next to him on the couch, letting their bodies touch. A strange feeling overcame Noah. Like his insides flipped upside down and his mind grew fuzzy. What was happening? Who knew a pretty girl could affect him this much. Melissa gripped his face with cold hands and turned him towards her. The noise from the TV droned out, leaving them in a world of their own.

"You are so wonderful," she said, auburn hair outlining the shape of her face perfectly. Melissa was perfect. In every single way she was flawless. Noah stared into her ghostly eyes and was lost in them.

"You are very beautiful," He said. The words tolled off his tongue easily even though he'd never spoken them to a girl before.

"I know," She said. Leaning in, she placed her warm lips upon his own. At first Noah was startled but then he succumbed to her prowess. His lips intertwined with hers and he lost all thoughts. All he knew was that it was good. It was so, so good.

A cough at the door forced them to pull apart. His dad stared at Noah in disbelief.

"D-dad. What are you doing."

"I could say the same thing, son."

Noah glanced at Melissa. To his astonishment she wasn't even fazed. She even had a smug look on her pretty little face.

"We were just...g-getting to know each other…" Noah gulped.

"I think you know each other quite well." His dad walked over to Melissa and gripped her arm. She tried to pull out of his grasp but she was not strong enough for Captain America. He dragged her out of the room, leaving Noah with a terrible feeling inside that he couldn't quite name. Oh ya, it was panic.

* * *

_**Hey! I hope this chapter satisfied you all. Thanks to XxRawrSmoresxX for the suggestion to bring in their past and how they were raised! Hope this works:) Anyways, please review and spill your thoughts on this chapter!**_


	5. Chapter 5

***Charlie***

The lab was freaking cool. So cool that Charlie didn't even notice when somebody walked in and watched her. It was only when she walked straight into him did she see him.

"Oh, jeez. I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there. Excuse me. Oh, sorry. Wait – were you watching me! You were definitely watching me! How long were you there? Don't ya know it's rude to watch somebody? Let alone really creepy too."

Theo put his hands up as a sign of surrender with a lopsided grin on his face. "Whoa, whoa, calm down. I wasn't watching you – just observing. There's a difference."

Charlie gave him a look and raised her eyebrows. "Uh huh. Whatever monster-boy. Now if you'll let me, I gotta get back to work."

Theo didn't leave. "Is that what you think I am," He asked. "A monster?" He peered at her, as if willing her to shy away and back down. She didn't.

"No," She protested. "Not at all. It was just a joke." Wow. For a really intense beast, he was actually really sensitive. In attempt to ignore him as he stared she continued to work, studying the design she was working on and making changes. When Theo didn't leave, she fiddled with her bracelet; the one that connected her to JARVIS and her suits. Speaking of, she had to finish working on her own talking computer system. Perhaps a female one – someone who was a little less close with her father. She let out an exasperated breath and looked back up at Theo. "Can I help you?"

"No. But I can help you."

Charlie laughed. Tank, the son of Hulk? Help her? Yeah right. "Oh really?" She said with her eyebrows raised. Theo walked towards the hologram and began typing codes into the keypad for a good ten minutes. It took all of Charlie's patience to wait it out. It _really _bothered her when people touched her stuff. But she bit her tongue and sat quietly. When he was done he turned to her and said, "You seem to be forgetting that I am the son of a genius too." With that he pressed a key and the hologram suit enlarged by 100%. It was slimmer and classier, the colours black and silver with a touch of brilliant red. The shape was more feminine than the designs her and her father always wore.

"Impressive. But is that all?"

Theo smiled, "One more thing." He pressed one more key and the suit disappeared. Gone. Horror struck Charlie. He just deleted it all! How cruel of a monster was he? "You nasty monster! I spent all day working on that!" She spat at him.

"Relax, spaz." He said. He grabbed her hand and pointed. "Look closely, what do you see?"

Charlie peered. Barely, just barely, could she make out a blurred shape of the suit. Almost as if it was invisible. Wait . . . "Oh my gosh!" Charlie gasped. "You _are _a genius! I can't believe I've never thought of that. Better yet, I can't believe Tony hasn't thought of that!"

Theo winked and left. Charlie stood still, flabbergasted at what had just happened. He had totally made her suit so much better. She couldn't wait to start building the prototype. Hastily, she got to work, marking the measurements and gathering tools when a knock sounded on the door. Nick Fury walked in. Immediately Charlie tightened up, unsure of why the SHIELD agent was here. And seriously, couldn't she get at least some peace and quiet to work here? Yeesh.

"Charlie," Fury said, honouring her shortened name. "I see you've found one of the labs we've built for you. I hope it satisfies you. Our agents spent lots of time prepping this area."

"Oh yes! It's incredible, thank you."  
"Good." Fury tapped his fingers against the countertop and stared at Charlie, making her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear uncomfortably. "You know," Fury said slowly, "I really hope I made a good decision for the recruits in Phase 1 – that I don't regret any choices I've made." His eyes lowered omnisciently and Charlie gulped. Why was he saying this? The lab suddenly felt a lot more dark and heavy.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I understand what you're trying to say."

Fury looked back up at her and his one eye held a fragile grace that had seen such terrible things and beautiful things. His voice was firm when he said, "I don't want people who are undeserving to get hurt. Especially from those they are closest to."

The hairs on the nape of her neck rose and she whispered, "What are you suggesting?"

"I just have a peculiar feeling that there are a lot of secrets being hidden around here."

Charlie froze. He couldn't know about her. Could he? No. Don't be stupid, Charlie. There was no way he would know. She'd never told anybody. Unless . . . She sucked in a tiny gulp of air. She had to talk to Pepper.

Fury left with quiet intensity. Charlie counted to thirty just to make sure he wasn't coming back and then pulled out her cell, quickly dialling the number.

"Mom!" Charlie yelled into the Blackberry as soon as Pepper's voice answered.

"What is it?" Pepper asked.

"Who did you tell!? Who was it!?"

There was a silence on the other end, and then the sound of a tired sigh. "Sweetie, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

Charlie growled. "Don't lie to me Mom. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Calm down, okay? If this is about th-the… 'The Thing' then I haven't told anybody. I swear! Believe me or not, but I have not said a word to anybody. Not even your father."

"What about Fury? Or any of SHIELD? Did you say anything!?" Charlie chewed her lip. If SHIELD found out then she was soo screwed. Like, on the High-Threat-List kind of screwed.

"No," said Pepper. "As far as they're concerned, all of it was confiscated a long time ago. Now relax honey, it's been a long day. You're just stressed and paranoid. You should get some sleep, alright?"

It took a few minutes for Charlie to agree, but finally she clicked 'end call' and hung up. After shutting down the equipment she left the lab. On the fourth floor she found her room. It was the one second farthest from the end. Inside were all of her bags and she began unpacking them. Though as much as she tried, she couldn't get the rotten feeling out of her that maybe, just maybe, her secret was about to be uncovered. Well, it was only a matter of time. Eventually all secrets arise into truth, but she was hoping this one would hold off a little longer.

She stopped stuffing her clothes into the closet and looked down at the palm of her hand, letting the heat take control. An excruciating burning filled her and she watched as her red skin on her palm sparked and hissed. Then she sent it back down to the depths of her soul, where it would remain hidden for as long as she could manage.

* * *

**_Sorry this chapter was kind of short! I'll make up for it in the next chapter I promise! _**

**_And have any of you seen Thor: The Dark World yet?! Isn't it soo amazing? I cried :') SO stoked for the Captain America 2!_**


	6. Chapter 6

***Isabel***

There were no words to describe the amount of shame, humiliation, embarrassment, and remorse that Isabel felt. She had failed. _Failed. _What would happen to her now? Would SHIELD confiscate her and deem her unworthy? And what of her father? She shivered He would surely never bring her to Asgard now. It was all she had ever wanted – to see the world where her ancestors ruled. He'd told her stories of how magnificent it was with the golden hue and rainbow road. But now… she'd lost all chances. There was no doubt her father was ashamed of her. All her life he had trained her to be a true woman of Asgard. Apparently being half human didn't quite work out – it was no picnic trying to contain the power she had in a human body. Her father knew that, but for some strange reason he believed that she could control her powers. He was wrong. Sorrowfully, she glanced out the window of her fourth floor room. Below, Earth stretched far and wide. In the distance she could see New York. Blue sky shimmered above with silver clouds dancing in the wind. It was all so happy.

Isabel shut her blinds closed. She didn't want happy right now. Drowning in her sorrows sounded really nice right now. Lying back on her waterbed she closed her eyes. A face popped into her head; blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Noah. Oh god, what had he thought of her performance? In all likelihood he probably thought she was a freak. Ugh. She groaned into her pillow. Life sucked. Being the daughter of Thor sucked. It would be so much easier if she was just dead!

Her head snapped up as she gained the feeling she was being watched. She turned, ready to glare her father away, only, it wasn't the great and might Thor. At first glance she thought it was Melissa, but after a second she realized the hair was redder and her eyes were green. Natasha Romanoff. Natasha walked into the room carefully with eyes that twinkled with sympathy. She sat on the bed, and gave a sad smile to Isabel.

"Natasha," Isabel said.

"Hi Isabel." Natasha ran a hand over the bed. "Water beds, huh. They sure trust you guys." A glimmer of humor crossed her face in her attempt to lighten the mood but Isabel didn't acknowledge it.

"Did my father send you here to scold me?"

Natasha frowned, her pretty face crinkling at the brow. "No. He did not. I came here on my own."

"Why?"

"I wanted to see how you were holding up."

Isabel gave a dull laugh and scoffed at the woman. "You mean you wanted to see if I was stable. If I was still in a destructive rampage."

Natasha licked her lips, contemplating how to reply. She sighed, "I was once unstable and destructive too, you know."

Isabel sat up and pulled her pillow onto her lap, cuddling it like she was ten years old. She brushed her hair out of her face. "But you're one of SHEILD's best agents."

"I wasn't always."

Wait, what? The Black Widow was once vile and unruly? No way. Isabel studied the agent, noting how her pretty and flawless face was beginning to age. It seemed so improbable that was she was saying was true. "That's not possible," Isabel protested. "You're so good, so pure."

"I was young," Natasha said. "Foolish. As on orphan I was trained to kill. Over the years I didn't care who I used my skill set for, or on. I was… evil. I got on SHIELD's radar and they hunted me down – saved me. Fixed me."

Isabel didn't say anything for a moment. "You think they can fix me too?"

Natasha smiled. "We can try."

Letting that sink in, Isabel closed her eyes. How wonderful would it be to not destroy everything in her path? It would truly amazing, that's for sure. Natasha sat up and walked towards the door, turning back at last minute.

"Dinner's gonna be ready in fifteen. Your personal chefs have prepared a fancy dinner, so dress formal. Oh, and one more thing." Natasha smiled. "You really are beautiful, Isabel."

Isabel decided she liked Natasha Romanoff.

* * *

***Melissa***

After her father had come in to inform her that dinner would be ready soon, Melissa dressed herself in a slim fitting black dress. It was her mothers. She didn't exactly know how fancy this dinner was, but knowing SHIELD and how high class they were, it was probably gonna be intense.

In the dining room, a large glass table was set up that could sit at least twenty people. A glistening chandelier hung from the ceiling, making the stars fall to shame. Melissa saw a glorious feast presented on the table. Her mouth watered as fumes from the perfectly cooked steamed lobster wafted into her nose. The most amazing aroma filled the air and she gazed longingly at the caviar and shrimp cocktail.

As everyone sat down, Melissa made sure she was next to Noah, giving him a small smile while at it. He returned it with a dazzling grin and her stomach did a flop. Thor's daughter sat on the other side of Melissa and after eyeing up the dark green strapless dress she wore, Mel shot smile to Isabel as well, who gave a half-hearted smile. Her eyes were rimmed with red – she'd probably been crying.

"Tony," Captain America said suddenly. "You have to wait until everyone is seated before eating. Surely your father taught you manners? He didn't seem like the uncivilized type when I knew him."

Stark glanced up from his plate. "Who are you calling uncivilized, Spangly?"

"I didn't exactly call you uncivilized."

"Yes, yes you did."

Steve sighed, a look of complete annoyance plastered on his face. "I just think you ought to show a good example to the kids."

"We aren't kids," Charlie muttered.

"Times have changed, Capsicle. It's not all manners and jitterbugs, okay?" Stark flung his fork around as he argued with Steve. Mashed potatoes and gravy flung everywhere – and all over Melissa's face.

"Oh. My. God." Her chair screeched violently as she stood up. Gravy slid down her face and plopped onto the marble floor.

"Ooh, darling, potatoes are _not_ a good look on you. Next time try something with less carbs," Tony said. Okay, that was it. Doing as best she could do contain her frustration, she took several deep breaths and counted to ten.

_One, two, three, four, five, six, sev-_nope. Couldn't do it. In two rapid seconds she flung her silverware at the egotistical playboy. The spoon hit him in the middle of the forehead, causing him to curse and moan. The fork hit him in the jewels, which let out a few more curses and a few more moans. Lastly, the knife hit him square in the chest – sticking out perfectly as it imbedded in him.

"Melissa!" Clint hissed. She was definitely going to deal with his wrath later on.

"You are so lucky I'm wearing a bulletproof outfit today," Stark moaned, cradling his boy parts and ripping gout the knife from his chest. Charlie's face dropped so low she probably could catch a fish. Dr. Banner did his best to contain his laughter, as well as his son. Carefully, Melissa sat back down in her chair, aware of the screeching as she pulled closer to the table. She wiped her face as calmly as she could. Dr. Banner was still chuckling.

"Are we all settled now?" Fury asked coldly.

"Yes," Melissa said rigidly. "We are settled." Her eyes made their way to Stark – he glared at her cruelly. She exchanged his glance with a smirk of her own. She was probably going to pay for bruising his pancakes, but hey, he deserved it!

The rest of the meal went by smoothly. Well, as smoothly it can get with Stark and Steve in the same room. The whole dinner consisted of their bickering, along with a few occasional comments from Thor who didn't understand half of the references. Melissa's parents kept quiet, making small talk with Dr. Banner. Her mother had a history with Bruce – when she went to recruit him for the Avengers, and then when he almost squashed her with his big green fist. Mel had always been cautious of Dr. Banner after she heard that story. As the dinner neared ending, Fury stood up and informed the new Avengers that the suggested curfew was 12, but they were welcome to stay up and train throughout the night. As the parents began to leave and head out to the side quarters, Mel decided she would train hard tonight. After all, practice makes perfect.

* * *

**Hey guys! Sooo, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter.. I don't think I like it very much. Oh well.**

**But review, review, review and tell me your opinion of this fanfic! I would absolutely LOVE to hear your thoughts! Don't be shy! **


	7. Chapter 7

***Theo***

Theo woke up to a commotion the next morning. Groggily he sat up, wiping the sleep out of his eyes and running a hand through his bedhead. He threw on a gray long sleeve (he normally slept shirtless) and slipped out of his bedroom. His bare feet were cold on the marble floor. The commotion was coming somewhere to his left, so he turned that way, though the noise seemed to echo in all directions. He wasn't exactly used to this house yet and it was _really_ big, so he wasn't exactly surprised when he found himself lost.

"Damnit," Theo cursed. He looked around: somehow he ended up in a fork in the hallway with what seemed like a million doors all around. It was dark in this area. He couldn't find a light switch. All around him the noise of the commotion ricocheted –he could make out multiple voices. Because his instincts told him to go right, he went left, treading carefully in the unknown territory. How come no one had mentioned this area? Maybe there was just so much of the house that they didn't bother to explain every detail. Like seriously, the house was amazing. Before bed last night Theo found himself wandering into a gigantic spa. And he was almost one hundred percent sure that he saw a trampoline in another room. Not to mention the Slurpee machine that was in the games room. The house was one big pile of awesome. SHIELD was really trying to make them happy.

Suddenly a sharp shooting pain shot through his foot and his big toe throbbed uncontrollably. He groaned. Stubbing toes was not really stealthy – it was kinda lame. Shaking the pain away, he continued forward. A red hue from an exit sign gave the hallway an eerie glow. He contemplated going through the exit door, but then decided otherwise when he realized it would probably lead him outside and everyone would have questions as to why he was outside in the first place.

When another split in the hallway came around, he went right. This hallway didn't have any doors at all – just a big one at the end. Wow, so cliché, right? He stared at it before moving forward, "What is this?" He whispered. Reaching the door, he placed a hand upon it before opening. It barely made a noise as it swung open. Theo stepped inside and the door clicked shut. He was surrounded by darkness. Sliding his hand against the wall, he fumbled for a light switch. Finally the room lit up and he quickly shut his eyes against the bright light. Slowly, he opened them again. He gazed at the sight in front of him, puzzlement running in circles in his brain. As realization finally hit him he felt bile rise in his throat. He heaved the acid onto the floor. It splattered violently. He felt is body smack against the wall as he backed up in attempt to move away from the sight in front of him. As the shock wore off, a new emotion rolled around. Anger.

* * *

***Noah***

Loud voices projected from the lower level of the house. Noah sat up quickly – instincts running wild. He whipped open his door and raced downstairs – feet pattering like raindrops on the glass staircase. His first thought was that some criminal had broken in and began killing off every one of SHIELD and Phase 1 of the Avengers Optimum. But then he noticed that there were no alarms going off, no flashing red emergency lights. Nothing. He stopped – suddenly even more cautious than he was before. Slowly but surely, he crept around the corner only to stop once again as the voices yelled even louder down the hall. It sounded like… Noah sighed and mumbled, "Seriously dad, can't ya just mind your own business and let Stark do his own thing?" As he was about to confront the two men another voices joined the noise. Clint Barton. Noah paused, and then he heard Dr. Banner join in, followed by a whole bunch of buzzing voices. What the heck was going on in there?! Creeping closer to the door, Noah listened carefully. Yeah, yeah, eavesdropping dropping wasn't exactly the classiest thing to do, but seriously. How else was he supposed to figure out what they were arguing over without butting into their conversation?

"Oh grow some balls, Gramps!" Stark's voice whined noisily from behind the wall. "Your son is ready for this and you know it! Don't be such a scaredy-cat."

"Last time I checked, I wasn't the one afraid of my own child." Noah's father had a rough edge to his voice.

"Gentlemen," Thor's voice boomed. "I advise you to save your pathetic bickering for later. We have important issues to discuss!"

"I assume your Asgardian's bickering is never as _pathetic _as ours here on Earth?" Clint says bitterly.

Stark and Steve continued to go at it while Clint and Thor snapped at each other. Wait, Thor said something about important issues? That made Noah's ears perk up. He leaned closer, listening cautiously as Natasha Romanoff's strained voice piped in. "Guys, remember the last time we argued like this? As I recall, it didn't exactly end well."

"Yes," Dr. Banner says. "We need to focus on what's really at hand."

The room died down, and Thor's voice was firm when he said, "I think it is best that we handle NARA on our own. Especially with Isabel's condition. It's not safe for her out there yet."

"But the rest are completely capable," Clint reasoned. "I know for a fact that Mel would be perfectly fine taking them on. She's strong and can handle anything."

"So you suggest that my daughter be isolated from the group? That she be held back in the shadows while the others show the world who they are?"

"We have no idea what NARA is capable of," Steve stated, drawing the conversation out of another argument. "SHIELD wants us to look into them first before sending our children after them. Who knows what kind of evil they possess."

Noah felt his throat dry up. By the bits and pieces he could gather, it sounded like a new enemy was on the rise. He swallowed a lump and took a deep breath. If his father needed him ready, he would be ready. He began to stand up –

_BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG._

– What was that?

_BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG._

It felt like slow motion as he turned his head towards the cause of the clamor. Noah felt the blood drain from his face and stomach flip over. For a moment he could hardly breathe. He scrambled into the room as fast as he could, where the Avengers stared at him with mouths dropped.

"What are you doing in –"

"Noah," Dr. Banner cut Steve off. "What is it?"

Noah could barely get the words out before the door was blown off its hinges:

"It's Tank."

Everyone held their breath as the big black beast stood panting in the door way. No one moved an inch. Noah felt his father's hand firmly grab his wrist. Tank roared – intense and deafening. Muscles rippled angrily under Tank's leathery black skin. His beady eyes were narrowed as he scanned the room. He picked up a chair with his massive fingers and whipped it at the wall, sending clear into the next room.

"Theo," Dr. Banner spoke calmly. "Theo. My boy. I know you're in there."

Tank roared in response. Dr. Banner hesitated before continuing. "I know you can hear me Theo. Just relax, okay?"

"Relax?!" Tank howled. "RELAX?!" He roared a third time, shaking the room with his cry. Out of the corner of his eye, Noah saw Natasha quiver slightly. He heard her shaky breaths and saw a ghost of a nightmare in her eyes. Had she been in a situation like this before? Out of nowhere there was a second beast in the room. Dr. Banner's ripped shirt fell to the floor. The green hulk confronted the black one – equal in size but wiser in mind.

"WHY DID YOU BRING ME HERE?" Tank cried in anguish at his father.

"To keep you safe." Hulk's voice was low and rumbling, almost animalistic.

"SAFE?" Tank growled. "YOU MEAN LOCK ME UP IN THE CAGE! I SAW IT! I SAW THE CAGE!"

It was quiet in the room for a moment. Noah's body was frozen in place. He didn't think he could move even if he wanted to. He flinched as Tank shoved the Hulk with so much force that the emerald creature fell backward and cracked the floor. The Hulk sat up, narrowing his brow. Then he raced at his son and lunged – carrying the two of them through the wall. Everyone raced after them, watching in awe as the two giants wrestled on the ground in the next room. Even the girls were there – the noise having woken them up as well. Charlie's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets while Mel watched expressionless. Isabel's mouth hung open in shock. Then all of a sudden the Hulk brought up an imposing fist and swung it hard into Tank's head. Like a magic illusion Theo appeared in a heap on the floor, with Dr. Banner slowly coming into form beside him. Natasha ran forward, covering both of their naked with a sheet.

"How did you get the 'other guy' to calm down so suddenly?" Stark asked warily.

Dr. Banner looked up from slipping on his tattered shirt. "A little something that Natasha is familiar with," He teased. "Cognitive recalibration."

"Or in other words," Natasha added, "He hit him _really_ hard in the head."

* * *

_**Sorry for the long wait for the update, I was away this weekend! **_

_**So...how am I doing?! Is this fanfiction okay? Review and tell me what you like and/or don't like!**_


	8. Chapter 8

***Charlie***

As SHIELD agents began to work on cleaning up the mess that Thing 1 and Thing 2 created, Charlie headed back up to her room, but then stopped on the third floor and opened the lab door. What better than a little morning science?

Flipping open the hologram of her suit, she admired the new black attire that Theo had created. He really was a brilliant guy. Funny too, and not too bad looking. Too bad he had such a terrible thing inside of him.

"Just like me," She whispered.

"What's just like you?" Tony entered the room so suddenly that Charlie stiffened, clenching her jaw.

"None of your beeswax."

"Oh really?" Tony raised his eyebrows and stroked the scruffle on his chin. "I object, your honour. You see, I am your _father _and your beeswax is my beeswax."

Charlie glared at him through her work goggles and then did her best to ignore him as she continued welding her suit. Tony always tried to pry into her personal life and always made much too big of a deal of everything. Which was exactly why she hadn't told him about her secret. If he ever knew…well, let's just say that he would probably cause more damage than the Hulk. Tony walked up to the hologram, studying it carefully and spinning it a full 360 circle with his fingers.

"Hmm. I like it. A little different than what I would have done, but I like it."

Charlie ignored his approval, but couldn't help turning on the reflectors so that the hologram shimmered into invisibility. Tony cocked his head, and then peered down at Charlie.

"I'm impressed, honey."

Ew. Did her dad just call her honey? That was not okay. He really needed to tone down the attempts to be a father. She contained a gag and then flipped the visibility back on, still not saying anything.

"Charlie," Tony said. She ignored him still, doing her best to drain him out with the noise of slicing metal.

"Charlie." He said again. "Hello? I'm talking to you."

She turned her back to him.

"Okay," He said. "That's fine. Ignore the man who gave you life and all. No biggie. Guess you won't need to know that I got you R5 tickets and a back stage pass for tonight. It wasn't that important anyways. I'll just be going then. Have a nice day."

Charlie froze. "Wait!"

Tony coughed once. "Yes?"

"Did you say… R5?"

"I believe that's what I said, yes."

Charlie could barely breathe. Tickets to see R5 and a backstage pass? Holy crap! But how in the world did Tony know that she was only like their biggest fan ever? Honestly, her tablet was filled with photos of Ross Lynch, and every morning she woke up to "Cali Girls." Whatever, who cared how her father knew – he had got her tickets! Plastering on the sweetest smile she could manage, she spun around to face him.

"Hi dad."

Tony raised an eyebrow, knowing full well that she only actually called him 'dad' whenever she was trying to get something.

"So…about those R5 tickets?"

* * *

***Isabel***

Lost in the magical world of Middle Earth, Isabel barely noticed when a slender glass thingamajig on her bedside table went off. It rang for a good minute before she took note of the soft beeping. Quickly she placed the third Lord of the Rings book down and peered at the phone thing. She picked it up curiously and pressed a finger against the clear screen – a mechanical voice spoke clearly through it.

"Hello Miss Foster. Nick Fury would like you to be informed that you and the others shall not leave the house tonight under any circumstances, as your parents and several other agents of SHIELD will be out looking after some business. It is not safe for you to leave the house. The only supervision you will have will be from Agent Hill at the SHIELD base. If you disregard these orders there will be great consequences. Thank you for listening." The voice shut off, leaving her alone with questions.

"What business?" She asked, jabbing her finger against the screen again in hopes that the voice would come back. When she finally realized that her attempts were useless she placed the phone back down, deciding to see what the others were up to. After all, it was no use being completely anti-social. And besides, she kinda wanted to see what Noah was up to.

"Hey guys," She said, walking into the games room. Theo and Noah looked up from a game of darts. Noah's blue darts were all dead centre.

"Oh, hey." Noah shot another dart. Bullseye again.

"Impressive," Isabel tried to sound sociable, which was actually difficult. She didn't really talk to other kids much. Usually her spare time was spent within the pages of books.

"Thanks, wanna try?" Noah grinned at her and her stomach flopped around like a little kid.

"No, I'll just watch."

"Aw come on," Theo pleaded, his usual shyness wearing off. "I bet you've got a good shot."

"No," She chuckled. "Probably not."

"Whatever," Theo shrugged. "You can be the cheerleader then."

Isabel laughed, taking a seat on the fluffy couch as the guys kept playing. Every time Theo got just a little frustrated when his dart missed, Isabel saw Noah falter a bit – obviously afraid of the chance that he might Change. It wasn't long before Mel sauntered into the room, wearing a black spaghetti strap top and tight jeans. Noah stopped and flicked his eyes over Mel's body, lingering at her bust a little longer than normal. Isabel shifted uncomfortably as a wave of jealousy ran through her.

"Did you guys get the memo?" Mel asked.

"Yeah," Theo said and pointed to the far wall. "It rang from that glass phone over there."

Mel nodded. "Alright. Since we aren't doing anything super crazy tonight, who's up for a game of pool?"

The guys quickly agreed and Isabel joined in. Noah and Melissa were extremely good at the game, their shots perfect every time. Isabel wasn't too bad herself, but she always hit the ball a little too hard and several times it flew off the table and onto the floor. She was just picking the ball off the floor for the third time when Theo suddenly asked, "Where's Charlie?"

Noah rubbed the end of his cue with a scuffer. "She's probably in the lab."

Mel agreed, "She's been in there almost 24/7 since we got here."

Suddenly Isabel's stomach growled really loud, causing everyone to give her funny looks "I'll be in the kitchen, anyone want anything?"

After taking everyone's orders of coke and chips, she made her way to the first floor. The kitchen was all shiny with giant appliances. It takes her a minute to figure out how to open the fridge – all the touch screens and buttons were kinda confusing. She grabbed three cokes and one water (Melissa made it clear that water was the healthiest choice) and then began opening cupboards to see if there was a stash of junk food anywhere.

"What are you _doing_?"

Isabel spun around to see Charlie standing in the doorway, a backpack slung around one shoulder and long dark hair in a braid across the other.

"You realize you're making a huge mess, right?"

Isabel looked around to see that Stark Junior was right – in her attempt to find chips she had emptied out at least half of the massive kitchen onto the floor.

Oops.

In a desperate scramble she began shoving everything back in place, just imagining the look on her father's face if he saw this made her squirm. Charlie sighed and walked towards her, plopping her bag onto the floor. "You look like you need help."

"No it's fine really," Isabel protested. "You can leave and get back to whatever you're doing." She paused, glancing at the bulging backpack. "What exactly _are_ you doing?"

Charlie's chocolate eyes brightened as she picked a pan off the counter. "Going to an R5 concert. Wanna come? Sneaking you in wouldn't be a problem."

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Only the problem is we can't go anywhere tonight. Fury made it clear that we were supposed to stay inside."

"So?" Charlie scoffed. "It's R5 for crying out loud! And I've got a backstage pass! Don't you wanna see Ross up close and in person?"

Isabel glanced at the door. The voice on the phone said that there would be consequences if they didn't obey the orders. "You should really stay here, Charlie."

Charlie groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on. They won't ever know! I'd be back before them."

"Where did you get those tickets anyway?"

"From Tony. He gave them to me this morning, before we all found out about the lockdown. He said he'd get me tickets another time, but I seriously doubt that. I was surprised he actually got me tickets in the first place, and I'm not expecting it to happen again. Which is why I'm going tonight. Rules or not, you can't stop me."

"Stop you from what?"

Noah and the others stood in the doorway. Theo saw the mess and his eyes bulged.

"_Holy crap._ So this is why you're taking so long."

Isabel's face heated.

"What were you talking about?" Noah asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion at Charlie, who glared right back.

"Why do you care, Captain Spangly?"

"Okay, first of all, _Captain Spangly_ would be my dad. And second, I care because if you're anything like your father, than the probability of you getting us all screwed is very high."

Charlie walked up to Noah, fists clenched. "I am _nothing_ like my father." Then she grabbed her bag and left the kitchen. Isabel's eyes widened. Charlie couldn't leave…if she did then they all would be in big trouble. She stood up and ran after her.

"Charlie, wait!"

"What?" Charlie turned back around in annoyance.

"Don't leave. Please. Fury will be furious." She cringed at how awkward that sounded. Charlie sighed and shook her head.

"Honestly, I couldn't care less. It's not like they'll ever find out."

Noah stepped into the hall, face frowning. "If you leave, I'll make sure they do."

"Oh is that a threat, big guy?"

Noah tilted his head, "I guess it is."

"You really don't wanna get on my bad side," Charlie growled.

Noah pushed past Isabel, knocking her against the wall. "You know, my father was right. You Starks are all the same: arrogant and haughty, with no sense in those big heads of yours."

Isabel's hair stood on end as Charlie raised her eyebrows in shock at his words. If this ended in a fight she would not be able to stop it. But Charlie said was, "I'll see you later." She walked out the door, braid swinging behind her.

Noah glanced at Isabel, and led her back to the kitchen to the others. A sinking feeling swam in her stomach. Why couldn't Charlie just stay home? The thought of what SHIELD would do when they found out she had disobeyed their orders made Isabel feel nauseous.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading! **_

_**Please, please review! I wanna know all your thoughts on this fic :) **_


	9. Chapter 9

**_Sorry for the wait, school's been crazy this week. 2 exams and a test in a span of 3 days. High school sucks. _**

**_Anyways, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!_**

* * *

***Charlie***

"How could you do such a thing?"

"Easy. I used my legs and walked."

Fury's unpatched eye flashed angrily at Charlie's smartass remark. "You deliberately disobeyed an order of SHIELD. Do you understand the consequences?"

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do. But you, and I, and everyone else here all understand that you need me. Isn't that right?"

Fury leaned back in his chair, contemplating what she just said. She was right, and she knew that he knew it. The truth was: Nick Fury and the rest of SHIELD could threaten her all they wanted but they wouldn't ever kick her out of the project. They needed her too much. And anyways – she was a Stark. You didn't just do that kind of thing to a Stark.

Charlie tapped her fingers across the table in boredom. The rest of the Avengers and A-Optimum stared quietly around the conference table – too scared to speak. Fury had called a mandatory meeting in the SHIELD base after a certain someone let it out that Charlie snuck out of the house.

Coughnoahcough, cough.

Steve glanced at Charlie with a disapproving look before saying, "Sir, I believe she has a point – she is a big asset to the project. But that being said, she did disobey a direct order. That deserves a punishment of some sorts, and any other soldier would receive the same treatment."

Tony turned to Captain America with one of his billion dollar looks. "Hate to break it to ya Spangly, but we aren't in aren't soldiers."

"In a certain sense, we are."

Clint Barton let out a frustrated huff, exchanging a glance with Black Widow. He motioned to Steve and Tony. "Do you need me to sit between you both, or can you handle being together just this once?"

Everyone shut up – Tony and Steve still looking like they had a million more things to say to each other. Charlie gazed around the room in the silence, eyeing up the specialty coffee bar in the corner of the room. She could really go for a mocha right now. Agent Coulson noticed her looking at it.

"You like this?" He asked, getting up from his seat and starting to make a drink. He pressed the mocha button and began to fill the ceramic mug. Charlie felt a flutter of happiness, already imagining the bittersweet drink on her tongue. Coulson added some whip cream on top.

"We just ordered this. Comes with one hundred and fifty varieties of coffee. Amazing, isn't it?" His fingers sprinkle some chocolate on top. "Maybe one day you'll earn one of these." Coulson sits back down at the conference table, taking a sip out of his drink with a taunting glimmer in his eyes. Charlie felt her insides sink. She reaaally wanted that mocha.

Fury cleared his throat and turned back to Charlie, looking her dead in the eyes.

"You haven't started off on a good page, Charlotte Stark." Charlie grimaced at her full name. "But I will suspend any penalties against you. Come to think of it, most of you haven't given very good first impressions. I expected more of you... do not continue to disappoint me."

With that he left. Agent Coulson followed quickly behind, mocha in hand. Stupid mocha. Charlie stretched her arms and got up from the table, ignoring the looks from Noah and Mel. Theo glanced up at her, and then looked back down just as fast. Isabel just sat there picking at her nail polish. Tony's chair squeaked as he stood up and grabbed Charlie's shoulder. The intensity of his grip startled her, arousing a wave of heat inside of her boy so fast she couldn't control it. It strengthened inside of her, and a spark flared.

"Argh!" Tony pulled back sharply, shaking his hand in pain. He peered at his palm then back at her, quizzically staring. Charlie felt the heat inside of her simmer down quickly. She did her best to look innocent.

"What in the hell was that?" Tony asked.

"Nothing," She lied. "Your head is messing with you – a symptom of getting old."

Pushing past her father, she exited the conference room. Today was such a bad day. From Fury's anger, the Avenger's disappointment, and her father's suspicion, everything just sucked. Last night was worth it though. Seeing Ross sing live and meeting the band back stage was the best thing ever. She reminisced about Ross's flawless voice all the way back to the mansion, not bothering to even say hi to the gatekeeper at the front. When she reached her room, she fished the Polaroid photo out of her pocket. It was one from last night. She and R5 all huddled together; smiling like fools for the camera. Gently, she placed the photo on her bedside table next to the voice-activated lamp.

"Hey."

Charlie jumped and spun around to the source of the voice. Theo.

"You know, I never thought you were the jumpy type." He said in a gentle, yet playful voice. Charlie crossed her arms.

"And I never thought you were the raging, catastrophic monster type."

He laughed and then hesitantly placed a foot inside the doorway, "May I?"

She motioned him in, quickly shoving some dirty socks under the king size bed. "What made you so angry anyways?"

He glanced at her skeptically, as if pondering over whether or not he should tell her. "I found a cage," He said. "In the far side of the house where we haven't been. It was all intense looking, with heavy metal lining it and it was suspended in the air." He looked down. "It was for _me_."

"You don't know that?"

"Yeah, I actually do." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "My father said that back during the Battle of New York, they had made a cage just like it for him. Of course, he was never actually in it because that one Asgardian god was put in it first. But it was made for a monster."

Charlie didn't know what to say. Nervously, she bit her lip. "Maybe you're not the monster they created it for."

Theo gave a choppy, mocking laugh. "Don't be ridiculous."

All she could do was stare at him. Maybe the cage _was_ built for him, but any monster could be stuffed into it. Spontaneously, Charlie grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room.

"Where are you taking me?" He asked in alarm.

"Somewhere safe."

"Safe from what?!"

"Safe from me."

She jerked him down the hallway, and took a turn down a few more hallways. Her eyes scanned the doors rapidly, looking for the room. Where was it… Ah! There it was! "_Secured Heating Room._" Theo saw the name on the door and made a funny face, but didn't say anything. Charlie flicked on the light switch, illuminating the space around them. She had found the room on the first day they arrived. It was one of the labs or something – and it was perfect for letting some steam out. Calmly, she walked into the centre.

"Why are we here?" Theo asked.

"You're not the only one with a monster inside of you."

Although everything in her told her no, she released the extremis that was buried deep in her. It bubbled up violently. It felt like coffee burns but reversed on the inside of her veins. A strangled cry slipped from her lips.

It had been so long since she'd fully let it out.

* * *

***Theo***

Theo gaped. Charlie's body began to glow a viscous red. Her eyes changed from brown to vibrant amber. Trembling slightly, she lowered her head. The red substance inside of her swirled around, visible even through her shirt. Didn't it hurt? Even if it did, she didn't end it. If anything, it seemed like she was willing it to come out.

"Charlotte," He said softly, testing out the feel of her full name on his lips. "You're hurting yourself, you gotta stop."

"No." Her words were strained. Laced with fiery pain. Beads of sweat began to drip down her face, and her dark hair stuck to her skin. Her almond eyes flickered. It was exotically beautiful.

He stepped forward, hoping to shake her out of whatever this was. But the air around her was so hot. Burning. Like a force field. All he could do was watch her body burn.

Finally, she collapsed; her body a saggy heap on the floor. Theo ran forward, picking her up carefully. When he was sure she was alright, he took a deep breath.

"What was that?"

Charlie's lips quivered. Vulnerable. "Extremis," She whispered.

"Does Fury know?"

She shook her head. "Not even my father. He thought they had extracted all of it from my mom – from Pepper. They were wrong. It was transmitted to me when she was pregnant. It was dormant until I hit puberty, and it's been getting worse. I've kept it secret all this time. Who knows what they'll do to me once they find out."

Theo didn't know what to say. He may have a freakishly outta control bi-polar disorder, but at least he didn't have to hide it. "I'm sorry," Was all he could say.

"Don't be," Charlie said, and then she just walked away. Theo gawked. Seriously, she had dragged him this whole way here, and then just ditched him? Uh, so not cool. How was he even supposed to find his way back? The last time he got lost in this mansion, things didn't really go over well. He closed the lab door and took a turn down a hallway that he was pretty sure was the right way.

Like, 65% sure. Maybe 50%

After several more 50% sure turns, he realized he was lost. Again. How was he supposed to find his way back now? This house was honestly way too big. Noah had even said that there were passages in the walls.

Theo suddenly halted. Did he just hear voices?

"I told you, I'm working on it!"

It was Melissa. But who was she talking to? He narrowed his eyes and strained his ears.

"Yes, I understand. No, no. They have no idea I'm working with you guys. I'm positive." There was a pause, and then Mel spoke again. "Do you doubt me? You know full well that I am the most skilled assassin in the world next to my parents. I'll be sure it gets done."

Theo slowed his breathing, scared that she might hear his soft breaths. What in the world was she talking about?

"I'll update you tomorrow, Shaden." A click. The phone calls over. Footsteps towards the door. Theo runs into another room, watching Melissa pass by like nothing just happened.

But seriously, what just happened?


	10. Chapter 10

***Melissa* **

Agent Coulson's balding head poked through the 'Agility and Strength Training Room' door, informing Mel that an urgent meeting was being called for everyone. She hopped down from the flaming rock wall and dabbed her forehead with a towel. After stripping out of her gym attire and taking a quick shower, she met the Avengers and their kids in a large board room on the third floor. Agent Coulson nodded respectively as she walked in. She seated herself at the end of the table just as the middle aged man began to speak.

"Two days ago SHIELD confirmed that a new enemy threat is being formed. They go by the name of NARA – New Advanced Rule Assembly. For months we have been receiving minor threats – until last week when we received an anonymous tip leaked onto our server. We've discovered that NARA's main goal is to set a new order to the world using extra-terrestrial force, with them on top. Who's running this assembly? We still don't know. But from what our techs could confirm, they are harbouring a dangerous weapon, possibly an alien device."

Isabel's head titled, she glanced at her father. "Surely not one from Asgard?"

"No," Said Thor. "We have not yet learned which realm they have contacted, or how."

"But we found their secret hide out." Tony winks.

Coulson swipes at the holo-cam. In the middle of the room a 3D image of a building appears. He probes at the walls, and the inside of the structure becomes visible.

"The Avengers established that one of their branches is currently residing in a six floor building in downtown Amsterdam, New York. A large quantity of heat waves is being emitted from the top floor. We suspect that is where they are holding the weapon." He points to the top floor.

"So what do you want us to do about this?" Theo enquired.

Coulson's eyes twinkled. "We want you to go in and secure the device."

Melissa frowned, sensing a fault in the plan. "Why?" She confronted him, tossing a piece of her wet auburn hair behind her ears. "How do we know that this is really a threat? We don't have a right to steal this. It's like a two year old stealing another child's toy. We just can't do that."

"Melissa…_Torpedo_." Coulson emphasizes her hero name. "I understand your hesitation on this. But trust us when we say that it is in safer hands under SHIELD's protection until we can transport it safely from earth. It does not belong in this world."

Noah tapped his fingers against the table before he spoke up. "But we don't even know what we're looking for?"

Dr. Banner adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat. Melissa thought he looked like a sad old puppy. "We have an idea of what it is. From thermo-graphic cameras set up around the building, it's evident that there are multiple ordnances. They're big, and seem to move on their own. Almost like they're living. And trust me when I say that they're hot."

Coulson swiped at the hologram again, bringing up a second image. A map. "We will transport you through a helicopter tonight, letting you off two blocks down from the targeted area. You will split up, mix in with the crowds to make sure you aren't noticed."

Melissa's dad, a.k.a. 'Hawkeye', gestured to Noah and Isabel. "You two will drop into the sewers and enter the building through pipes." He turned to Theo and Melissa. "The both of you will go in through the roof"

Oh, just _great_. Melissa eyed Theo up. Stuck with the bipolar dude? _So _not gonna be fun. Her mother had interesting stories about being paired with the Hulk during the Battle of New York, and Mel was not looking forward to making any memories with Tank.

"And whatta bout me?"

Tony smacked Charlie on the back. "You, are going to be in the air."

"I understand you are building a new suit," Coulson piped in. "Will it be ready for tonight?"

Charlie nodded eagerly. Coulson smiled, "Good. For the rest of you, our scientists have designed some new suits as well."

Five outfits flashed onto the hologram, all themed in a silver and black colour scheme. The first was a larger pair of bottoms – obviously for Tank.

"Tank," said Agent Coulson. "You will be fitted in a pair of bottoms that will not rip… no matter the size you grow to be. Noah, we have replicated the shield your father uses created out of the same rare metal." Noah beamed as he saw the black and silver striped circular shield next to his outfit. Beside it was an image of a slender feminine suit strapped with arrows and bows. An array of Shuriken throwing stars were cleverly equipped onto the suit. Melissa grinned. Okay, this was cool. Lastly was a black suit with a cape. A large metal club was strapped onto the belt.

"Isabel. Together SHIELD and Asgard have designed a weapon for you that imitates your fathers hammer; Mjölnir. It was wielded with your DNA so it will respond only to you. This will help you harness your power. Asgard has named it Nidhogg, which translates to English as Poison Biter."

"You really think we can manage this?" Isabel's voice wavered slightly as she eyed the image of the weapon. "You're seriously trusting us with this? I mean, don't you think it could be better handled by the Avengers…"

A soft sigh fell from Agent Coulson's lips. "Honestly, it took Fury some convincing. He doesn't really think you are ready. This was all my idea – give Phase 1 their first taste of the real world. Show everyone what you're made of. And I _am_ trusting you with this mission. We all are. I know you can handle it." He folded his hands. "Are you all in?"

They all nodded simultaneously. The room bubbled with anxious enthusiasm. Mel clenched her jaw in frustration. This was bad. Soo bad. She had to send a text right away… Shaden was going to be so pissed.

* * *

***Noah***

As Coulson dismissed them all, Noah saw Mel whip out her cell and begin texting at a rapid pace. Her brows were narrowed intently and her pink lips were tight. Her damp hair stuck to her face. In other words, she looked _very_ pretty. He walked up to her, clearing his throat and taking a deep breath. Talking to girls wasn't something he excelled at.

"Hey Mel," He said as calmly as possible.

She didn't even look up. He coughed once. Twice.

"Mel."

No response. Her fingers tapped at a speedy tempo as she began to walk out of the room. Either she was to focused on whoever she was texting or she was just plain ignoring him. He hoped it was the first reason.

Supressed by a layer of disappointment, he strode out of the board room and began to make his way to his room to gather his things. Tonight was gonna be stressful.

* * *

The copter roared loud and angry – so loud and angry that Noah could barely even hear his own thoughts. Everything was a mixture of shouts and orders, jumbled together in a big bowl of what-the-heck-is-going-on. Finally Agent Coulson got the five of them loaded on board and then hopped on himself. He signaled an 'okay' to the pilot and they were off, leaving all sense of protection behind.

Noah tapped his foot repeatedly on the floor, feeling a jittery shiver in his bones. This mission was the start of it all. The start of the Avengers Optimum. They could not fail. If they didn't succeed in retrieving this…this weapon, then not only would they face consequences, but they'd have to deal with the shame and humiliation of it all.

"Hey, would you stop that!" Mel's hand firmly gripped his knee, stopping him in mid tap. "It's getting annoying."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He hesitated, then added, "Who were you texting earlier? It looked like you were really into the message you were sending."

Mel's eyes slid to the side, and then quickly shot back up to Noah. She gave a loose laugh. "oh, no one. Really. I was just checking up with some friends."

"Friends? What friends? We've been secluded all our lives…"

She blinks, expression unreadable. "I assure you, it was nothing that concerns you." When she turns away with a soft layer of bitterness, Noah let it slide. He wasn't one to push for information. That was more of a Stark thing.

The shimmering black copter flew through the sky like a dark beast until it finally landed on the rooftop of a brick building. The cool evening air laughed in Noah's face as he jumped out of the helicopter and onto the roof. After giving them a few last words, Coulson handed them all earpieces. Noah fit his in right away – it felt strange and uncomfortable.

"Don't worry," Says Coulson as he notices Noah's discomfort. "You'll get used to them soon." He turned to them all, giving them a reassuring smile before stepping back into the machine.

One by one, the five teens climbed down the side of the building via rope and harness. It was surreal. All Noah's life he'd prepared for this and now it was finally here. The intense reality of it all hit him smack in the face as he stepped into the cold, dark alley with Isabel at his side and a sewer entrance at his feet.

"You ready?" Isabel asked.

"Never."

* * *

**_Bam! The first mission has started! Finally, eh? It wasn't until a few days ago that I actually realized I was on chapter 10 and nothing really interesting had happened in this fic, so I decided it was time to get moving! Next chapter will be the beefy part of the mission where it breaks out into exciting pieces, I promise!_**

**_Thanks again for reading, and please review! :)_**


	11. Chapter 11

** *Isabel***

Noah looked damn fine is his suit – the black and silver spandex outlining his body flawlessly. And the massive shield only showed off his muscular arms. Isabel had to turn away so he wouldn't notice her blush. He ripped the sewer lid up from the ground with his bare hands and gestured to her. "After you, ma'am."

Isabel grinned inwardly at the old fashioned manners. Obviously there was more of his father in him than he thought. Gripping _Poison Biter _tightly, she hopped into the sewer. She landed with a sloppy smack.

"Aw gross." She shook her foot, grimacing at the muddy slop that flew off. "Hey Cap, watch where you step down here! Or else you're in for a sloppy surprise…"

Noah gave a mocking salute before hopping in after. He narrowly missed a pile of mush himself.

The sewer tunnel was dark and shadowy. All Isabel could see was shaded outlines of the walls. The soft pitter-patter of rats reverberated around them. Carefully, Isabel allowed some of the energy inside of her to surface, illuminating the area around them with the lightning in her palm.

"That's so sick…" Noah whispered in awe.

She laughed, though focused hard on controlling her power. _Poison Biter _helped keep it under wrap though, thank goodness. Without it she probably would have blown up this place already. _Razed _it. She smiled at her own pun. Together they walked through the passage as Noah navigated with the GPS on his wrist.

"Raze. Soldier. How are you managing?" Coulson's voice asked in her ear.

"We're…" She eyed a colony of dirty rats scurrying past. "…managing."

"Good. I'll check up with you again in a few."

Noah tapped the digital map. "Our entry point is coming up. Remember, I go in first. Then you follow."

"Yeah, I know."

"Then we crawl up the building to the top floor though the vents."

"I know."

"Then, we grab the weapons and the heli grabs us."

Isabel rolled her eyes playfully. "_I know_!"

He smirked. "Good."

When it was time, she swung _Poison Biter _at the roof, leaving a gaping hole. Isabel waited as Noah climbed up and confirmed that no one was around, and then accompanied him, squeezing through the small shaft. It took her several blinks for her eyes to adjust to the florescent lights of the building. They were in a quiet washroom, with only one NARA man present. Noah blocked a punch with his shield from the very startled man, who began rubbing his hand. Punching one of the strongest metals in the world was probably not the best feeling. Noah then gave him a blow of his own and the guy slumped onto the floor. "We're in," Noah said into his earpiece.

They exited the washroom. Isabel glanced warily at the cameras even though she knew that SHIELD HQ had already hacked in and looped the tape. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious and she was glad to be out of its sight once she slid into the tight air shaft.

"Where'd your shield go?" She asked Noah, aware that it was suddenly missing. He patted his side.

"It's in my pocket."

She frowned. "How…?"

"SHIELD thought of everything."

She shook her head, unable to grasp the complexity of everything SHIELD designed.

* * *

***Theo***

The bricks were rough against his hands. Theo growled as a sharp edge cut his palm, and then pushed himself further up the side of the building. Five stories below, the dark alley sneered at him, though not one human was in sight. So far, the operation was going perfectly. He could almost feel the 'other guy' bouncing with excitement inside of him.

"Hurry up!" Mel hissed from a few feet above.

After an annoyed grunt, Theo quickly climbed up to where she was, gulping some air to catch his breath. He shivered against the cool breeze, knowing that once he shifted his thin shirt would be ripped to shreds and he would have nothing to wear back. Beside them was the rooftop door, which Melissa picked in a matter of seconds and then they were off again, sneaking down the staircase of NARA's base. Then Mel stopped, slamming her hand against his chest to hold him back. She placed a finger to her lips and flicked her head to the side. Signaling that someone was up ahead. Theo grinned – it was time.

He stepped out in front of the guard.

"Hey, kid!" The guy yelled, pointing. "You can't be here!"

Theo grabbed the man's hand and twisted back to snap the wrist before slamming his head into his forehead, knocking him out. He dropped limply. Mel smirked approvingly at Theo. They kept moving.

"So…" Theo started as they descended the stairs. She cast him a glance, a flicker of wariness in her eyes. Wait, she wasn't afraid of him…was she? He closed his mouth, deciding not to say anything after all. Opening a door, they entered a hallway on the top floor. Now they just had to find the room that held the weapons.

Another man suddenly came out from nowhere, a bullet from his gun zipping past Theo's head way to close for comfort. He barely ducked in time. _So_ not cool. The man raised the gun again, but Mel was faster. An arrow hit him straight in the chest, leaving him on the ground.

"Keep moving," Mel said as she nabbed the gun from his twitching fingers, just as a three more men entered and began firing at them. Their beady eyes glared at Theo.

"I don't appreciate your attitude," Said Theo. "And neither does Tank."

He bellowed, loud and angry. Letting his emotions take over, he released Tank from his inner cage. Theo was vaguely aware of the sound of ripping material. His shirt fell to the floor in shreds as his body shifted into the black beast. Thankfully his new pants stayed on. The men halted, gaping at him.

"An enemy force has infiltrated the building," One of the guys said into a radio with a shaking, husky voice. He gaze fell onto Mel. "I-I think it's SHIELD."

"You bet it is!" Tank roared as he let a giant fist crash onto the man's head. In seconds the guy was dead. Mel ran up to a wall, flipped off of it, and took both the other guys of them out with her feet. She gave Tank a strange look, before running down the hallway and opening up a set of double doors to reveal a big white room. They were met by about another twenty or more men. Bullets flew in every direction. Tank laughed – those pity bullets could not faze him.

He looked around the wide room, eyeing up his opponents. That's when he noticed that there was no sign of any of the weapons that they were sent to secure. No alien devices… No burning weapons of mass destruction… Just a group of soldiers attacking.

The blatant realization hit him hard – it was a trap.

* * *

***Noah***

"Soldier," Coulson's voice spoke urgently in Noah's earpiece. "Standby. This is a trap. I repeat: do not move from your position. This is a trap."

Noah froze. A trap? "Wh-what do you mean, sir?"

Coulson hesitated. Then, "Our thermo-graphic cameras have encountered a loss of the objects we were tracing. It's like…they're just gone. NARA must have known we were coming and transported them to another location. I've already contacted HQ. We need you to evacuate immediately."

"Are Torpedo and Tank aware of this situation?" Noah asked, his thoughts immediately brought to the pretty red-head.

Another hesitation. "Shadow Soldier, you need to abort the mission now. Forget about the other two. The heli will pick you and Raze up two blocks south. Flare will meet you there. This is an order."

Isabel stopped crawling through the vents, her pretty brown eyes questioning Noah's sudden stop. Then her face dropped, obviously receiving the same message in her own earpiece.

"Sir, I can't do that." Noah protested. "That's my team in there. I won't leave them."

How could Coulson ask him to leave while Mel and Theo were stuck up there with no back up? A soldier would never put his own safety before a comrade. Never.

"This is a direct order," warned Coulson. "If you disregard this order than your evacuation plan will be diminished and –"

The rest of Coulson's voice was lost under Noah's boot. The earpiece popped as it was crushed. Isabel's face dropped even lower.

"Oh my god… you are _so _gonna pay for that later." She then burst into laughter, placing her own earpiece under her foot and mimicking Noah's actions. "He was getting annoying anyways."

A grin spread across Noah's face. He liked this Isabel chick. Sure she seemed unstable at the beginning, but she actually wasn't so bad.

"Alright," He said squeezing through the air shaft to finish what he was meant to do. "Let's move."

* * *

***Charlie***

Charlie circled around in the air, her suit blending in to the darkened sky. She gaped at Coulson's update. Leave without evacuating Torpedo and Tank?

"To hell with that," She said as she began speeding towards the NARA building. Coulson began shouting orders at her – but she shut his voice off quickly. _Ah, silence_. With one destructive blast from her palm, a large opening gave way in the roof. She landed in a spacious room filled with… chaos. Complete chaos. To her left, Tank was busing smashing everything in sight, while Mel released arrows at everyone. Noah and Isabel crashed through an air vent and nodded to her, before taking on several men at once.

"Sorry guys," Charlie smirked. "I've come to crash your party."

Almost immediately men began firing at her. She aimed an armored arm at them, defeating them with one fiery blow. She did this countless times: Aim, fire, turn. Aim, fire, turn. But no matter how many times she did this, more men just kept coming. She suppressed a growl before shooting again.

Suddenly a booming voice echoed around the room, commanding everyone to freeze. "Hello," The voice said. From a door in the corner of the room, a tall man dressed in a black suit appeared. A silver, curved walking stick was in his right hand. It clacked against the tiles as he strolled in.

"Hello," He said a second time. His eyes wandered across all of the young heroes, his voice gravely and low. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you all. I must say – quite the performance you gave. But I expected _more_. You're the children of the legendary Avengers, are you not? It's not like you to disappoint." He stroked his metal staff with a hand decorated with rings.

Charlie raised an eyebrow at this creepy man. "Don't mean to interrupt your little speech, but _who are you_?"

His head flicked in her direction. "I'm the one who will start a new era. With the help of my… _fiery_ friends. You haven't met them yet, but you will."

Charlie gulped, though there was no time for her to reply, because at that moment Iron Man flew into the room through the hole in the roof. His metallic boots clanging as he landed. Thor followed in after, Mjölnir like a deadly stone in his hand. The man in the center of the room faltered, and then put on a sneer.

"Oh look. The parents have come to save the day. Or at least, some of them have. What's the matter; did the others get stuck in traffic?"

"Shut up Candy Cane." Tony retorted as he blasted the man with the cane in the chest. The man fell to the ground by the force of the blow, but was unharmed. Charlie was astounded. No one could survive a blast from a Stark! Her thoughts were disrupted by a hand gripping her arm. Tony.

"Why are you here?" She snapped at her dad. "This was our mission. Ours!"

"I'm here to rescue your ass. Now let's go," He hissed. The look in his eyes meant that he meant business, so Charlie obeyed without question. Thor and Iron Man grabbed the heroes who were unable to fly, and then they shot into the sky, leaving the destruction behind.

Though the failure of the mission traveled with them, clinging in their minds like bloodsucking leeches.

* * *

_**I hope this chapter did not disappoint! And sorry for the long wait for an update, life's been busy. **_

_**So, how do you guys think NARA knew that SHIELD was coming? ;) And how do you think Coulson and Fury will react to them disobeying the evacuation orders?**_


	12. Chapter 12

***Charlie***

Fury was fuming, his eyebrows narrowed and his one eye scrutinizing each one of the new heroes. Tony nibbled on the inside of his cheek in frustration as he stared ahead in thought. Dr. Banner looked somewhat calm, only the quick run of his hand through his salt and pepper hair gave the impression that he was moody. As for Barton and Romanoff…their faces were stone cold and unreadable. Though Charlie guessed that they weren't very happy either. After all, who would happy be after a failed mission?

"I have a few questions running through my head." Fury's voice boomed. "It's giving me quite the headache."

Charlie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The Extremis bubbled inside of her uneasily, but a few shaky breaths calmed it down a little. She did her best to focus on Fury; the last thing she wanted was to explode in the middle of this meeting. He paced around the room and then stopped, turning to all of them.

"First question: what made you even think that it would be okay to defy the evacuation orders? You understand that you risked the lives of not just yourselves, but of your parents?" His eye bore into Charlie.

She huffed. "My dad is Tony freaking Stark. _Iron Man. _I'm pretty sure he's been put through riskier ordeals."

Fury clenched his jaw. Out of the corner of her eye, Charlie saw her dad smirk approvingly.

"And I'm pretty sure it would take more than a man with a cane to defeat an Asgardian," Noah piped in as he shot a glance at Isabel. They shared a soft smile.

"We're a team," Charlie added. "We're sure as hell not gonna abandon each other on a mission. The Avengers would never do that to each other, so why would we?" Captain America tilted his head and raised his eyebrows in agreement.

Fury blinked, staring at them. Then his rock hard expression broke into a grin. "Good."

Noah frowned. "Sorry…good?"

"Yes. Good."

"What happened to the whole '_you risked lives' _part?" Isabel asked with a puzzled expression. Natasha Romanoff stepped forward, her boots clicking on the floor.

"What you all portrayed was a deep loyalty to each other," She said. "Something SHIELD values immensely in their heroes. Although you did disobey a direct order, it only proved that we could rely on you to protect not just the world, but each other."

"Though I am pretty insulted that you broke the earpiece," Coulson teased to Noah.

Charlie smiled, glancing down at her Chuck Taylors sheepishly. It was nice to know that their efforts proved to suffice. She looked back up, swallowing her goofy smile and sharing a happy glance with Isabel. Though Fury's face returned to the serious look as quick at it had disappeared earlier. He began pacing again; leather trench coat swinging at his sides.

"But I still have questions. Why did NARA know we were coming? And second, who told them? The only ones who knew about this op are right here in this room. Nobody at HQ knew about it – I made sure of it."

Everyone fell silent, processing what Fury had just said.

Dr. Banner glanced around. "Are you suggesting that one of them – One of NARA – is working here on the inside? One of… us?"

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting."

* * *

***Melissa***

It was hard to pinpoint the emotion that Mel was feeling – it was somewhere between complete horror and total shit. She was pretty sure her heart stopped beating altogether, and suddenly she had forgotten how to breathe. It wasn't until she noticed her mother looking at her that she remembered to play it cool. She met her mother's glance as calmly as she could, hoping to god that her dread couldn't be seen in her eyes. The Black Widow had an uncanny ability to decipher even the subtlest type of body language. Mel swallowed and took a deep breath.

"Who?" Captain America's voice spoke in a surprising growl. He stared down at everyone.

Stark patted him on the shoulder. "Calm down Capsicle."

"We will uncover who it is," Coulson stated at the tense soldier. "Agent Hill and I will be taking you all through extremely thorough psychological tests and interrogations to see if we can break whoever it is."

"Of course," Agent Maria Hill began. "It would be so much easier if you just told us who you were."

"But that's not as fun," Coulson winked.

Mel shivered and glanced down. This was going to be soo bad. She flipped out her Blackberry and quickly sent a text to Shaden. Her fingers hesitated over the keyboard as she pondered over how to break the news to him in the best way.

_They know_. She typed. _I've gotta get out of here now._

After writing the coordinates that she would meet him at and pressing send, she stuck her cell back in her pocket and crossed her legs nonchalantly. If she was going to evade the questioning then she needed to vacate the mansion. Immediately.

Fury, Coulson and Hill had stopped talking and were now staring at all of them intensely. The air was filled with a suspenseful silence. Finally Coulson spoke again: "We will begin the interrogations immediately, starting with the new heroes. Raze," He motioned to Isabel. "You're up first."

* * *

***Isabel***

"So… Raze."

Coulson's voice was mocking. Sarcastic. That was the weird thing about the balding agent, he had a peculiar way of making everything he said sound so witty and sarcastic that half the time Isabel never knew if he was joking or not. Though right now, he was definitely _not _joking around.

"So," He continued.

"Are you gonna keep saying 'so'?" She couldn't help but ask. Coulson leaned back and cocked his head at her retort. Behind him, Agent Hill raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips.

"I can see you've gotten comfortable here," Said Coulson. "No longer the sweet, shy and shameful girl we first met – which could mean lots of different things. None of which would help you in this situation."

Isabel ran her fingers through her long brown hair and sighed, deciding to just cut to the chase. "I'm not double crossing SHIELD."

"That's what a liar would say."

Isabel shifted, the wires around her body getting quite annoying. Hill and Coulson had strapped her up with all these body monitoring devices that tracked her temperature and brain waves. Just to see if she was speaking truthfully or not.

"Can we just get this over with? Please?" She was dying to know how the current book she was reading ended. There was exactly 47 pages left – which would only take her about twenty minutes to read. But of course she was stuck here answering stupid questions.

All of a sudden there was a loud bang on the door. Isabel jumped at the noise. The door swung open and Clint Barton stood under the frame. His eyes were narrowed angrily.

"Where's my daughter."

"I'm sorry?" Coulson said. "Everyone is in the room waiting to be interrogated, like you should be right now. It was an order given by Fury himself."

Agent Hill stepped forward. "What are you talking about Clint?"

"Mel." Hawkeye said. "She's not here. She's gone."

Coulson glanced at Isabel, knowing now that she was not guilty. Isabel ripped one of the wires off of her, meeting Coulson's gaze. Thanks to Melissa's little disappearing act Isabel was saved from the boring questions. And NARA's secret agent was now revealed.

* * *

_**Okay, so I haven't really gotten a lot of reviews on this - which leaves me wondering how good this fic actually is. If you like it, please review and tell me! If you don't like it, also review and tell me! I gotta know how to make this better for the readers. **_


	13. Chapter 13

***Mel***

It was getting dark outside. The sun was lowering slowly on Mel's right, giving her a nasty glare as it sank down on the horizon. She glared right back at it.

After sitting in the shadows of a tall tree for a mere 97 seconds, Melissa began to grow impatient. Shaden would be there any minute, with Shield not far behind. She had done her best to skedaddle out of the mansion as soon as Coulson had taken Isabel by telling her father she had to use the little girl's room. Men fell for that every time. Pathetic.

She shivered slightly. The thin material of her suit only provided so much protection, and the chilling autumn breeze was beginning to penetrate through. At the sight of the Shield symbol on her left sleeve, she almost gagged. Stupid Shield. They had forced her to live in seclusion for seventeen years, not caring that maybe she wanted a real life. Not one full of secrets and lies. All they were concerned about was being the best. But NARA, they could change things. Shaden had a plan to reconstruct the way of the world – a plan that involved the destruction of Shield. Melissa smiled internally at the thought of Shield's annihilation. Nothing could quite describe her detestation of Shield, and bringing them down would bring her great pleasure. Who cares if her parents were Agents – they certainly hadn't cared about whether or not she had dreams of her own.

The soft hum of a vehicle brought Mel out of her thoughts. She peered through the branches and watched as the shiny black car approached. Her phone vibrated. She didn't have to check the text to know who it was. Quickly she emerged from the shadows and slid into the leather passenger seat.

"Good evening," Shaden drawled.

Mel snorted. "Hardly."

The car lurched forward as Shaden sped through the street. He knew it was vital that Shield did not catch them. The tall man rolled his fingers against the steering wheel. "Have you gathered the information?"

"Yes – and it wasn't easy."

"I never said it would be." He cast her a sly glance. Melissa handed him the memory chip, grateful for it to be out of her own hands. She glanced behind her, looking for any pursuing vehicles.

"How long until we're there?" She asked anxiously.

"Long," Shaden replied. "We're taking the back roads."

At that she leaned back in her seat, resting her head against the window. The cold of the glass was nice against her sweaty cheeks. She hid her face behind a curtain of her auburn locks. She didn't want Shaden to see the anxiety plastered on her face.

* * *

***Theo***

The look on Clint and Natasha's face was terrifying. Theo was glad they weren't his parents. Seeing them pissed off was slightly alarming. Although, his father wasn't exactly charming when angry either.

"How could she do this?" Clint exclaimed. He ran a hand through his hair. "I won't have my daughter working with the enemy. I won't allow it!"

"Well you're a little late there, Birdy," Stark said. Hawkeye shot him a death glare. Natasha put an arm on her husband.

"We'll get her back," She said. "We always get what we want."

Theo chewed his lip, contemplating the situation. "Why would Melissa work against us? What would be her reasoning?"

"Yeah," Noah agreed. "I thought she liked us…"

Theo glanced at Charlie, motioning for her opinion. The pretty dark haired girl shrugged.

"Honestly, I never really like her anyways. Found her sort of… I don't know. Annoying."

Noah scoffed. "Oh, _she's_ the annoying one?

"What exactly are you implying, Big Boy?"

"Hm. I don't know, _Charlotte._"

"It's Charlie," She spat.

"Spangly, tell your son not to talk to Charlie like that." Tony glared at Steve and his son.

Steve shrugged. "Only when you and your daughter play by the rules."

"What are you talking about? We follow rules. Sometimes…"

"Excuse me!" Coulson exclaimed rather loudly. "We are under extreme pressure by Fury to solve this immediately. And if you think bickering over your children will get us anywhere, you're very wrong."

Everyone shut up. Theo gulped at Coulson's sharp voice, the middle aged man had never really shouted before. But there's always a first for everything. Coulson took a deep breath.

"Now, we're going to send a squad out at once. Natasha, Clint, I'll have you lead the operation with Tank, Raze and Flare. Stark, Cap, you'll be backup with Noah at your side. It's critical that we get Torpedo back."

Theo smiled at Charlie, a flutter in his stomach at the thought of working beside her on this mission. She smiled back.

"And what of Dr. Banner and I?" Thor spoke up for the first time from the back of the room.

"You'll stay here," said Coulson. "After all, someone's gotta watch the house."

At the anxiety of the situation, the 'other guy' began to itch with anticipation Theo folded his hands in his lap, willing the monster to just stay put until the time was right. Ever since his little episode after finding the cage, he had been overly cautious with his emotion. He was surprised that Coulson and Hill had even let him in the the previous op. He barely had Tank under control during that attack - five minutes more and the beast would have gone ballistic.

"Um.. C-Coulson?" Theo stuttered.

The agent looked at him, waiting expectantly. "Yes?"

"Are you sure that I should... do this? I know if it's safe."

Coulson smiled sympathetically, the blues of his eyes twinkling in a fatherly way. Theo wondered if the

man had ever had kids of his own. He shook the thought away as Coulson said, "We'll have a team in the air nearby with the cage just in case Tank decides to redecorate."

Theo nodded, relieved that there was at least some plan in case things went awry. Charlie gave him a reassuring smile.

"Alright team," Agent Hill said. Her hair was pulled back in it's usual bun, her blue tooth on one ear. "Let's go. Black Widow, Hawkeye, take Tank, Flare and Raze to one of the mini pods. There'll be a pilot waiting for you."

At the command, Theo felt his stomach lurch. He adjusted his glasses and ran a nervous hand through his thick dark hair, listening as Hil directed orders. Hopefully everything went as planned.

Natasha and Clint marched out of the room, with the Theo and the girls following behind. Isabel stuck close to Charlie's side.

"This is extremely inconvenient," whispered Isabel as the scrambled through hallways behind the two assassins.

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."

They ran up a staircase following Natasha and Clint, Theo at the back of the group listening to the two girls talk about random things. Once or twice he thought he heard the word "R5" and he swore he heard something about a Hiddleston.

"What's a Hiddleston?" He asked, curiosity nipping at his insides.

"It's not a _what_," Isabel corrected. "It's a _who._"

"Only the most perfect man alive! Eek!"

Theo halted at Charlie's squeal. Her exoctic features were scrunched up into an expression of pure delight and she gazed into the distance with glossy eyes.

"I'm gonna meet him one day, ya know," She crossed her arms.

Isabel huffed. "Sure. You can meet him. But I'll marry him."

Charlie shot a playful punch at Isabel's side. "Not if I can help it."

Theo laughed as he watched the two girls. As Charlie gushed about Hiddles-whatever and his performance in some Paris movie, he couldn't help but feel a spark of jealousy at her crush. Perhaps he was beginning to grow a crush of his own.

"Kids!" Clint appeared from the top of the stairwell, eyes narrowed violently. "Hurry up! This is no place to fool around."

His stern reprimand sent them scurrying with hushed giggles. They entered a large room with several aircrafts. Natasha was already boarding one, her face a stone cold look of determination. Theo gulped, the weight of the op finally settling in.

If they couldn't take Torpedo back, then NARA would have the one of the world's greatest super assasins on their side...

* * *

_**Please review and share your thoughts on this fic! Review, review, review!  
The next chapter won't have as much of a wait, I promise! xoxo**_


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